Pena rejects that he vacated seat on District D Democrats

By ROBERT KOCHHour Staff Writer

Published
3:15 pm EST, Wednesday, February 18, 2015

NORWALK -- Former Councilman Warren A. Pena said Wednesday he was removed from District D Democratic Town Committee the night before for not supporting Harry W. Rilling in Norwalk's 2013 Democratic mayoral primary election.

"The mayor's top advisors, in this case (Donna) King, the city clerk, is looking for ways to marginalize the younger members of the Democratic Party and those who did not support Mayor Rilling," Pena said.

Pena, who served as an at-large councilman from 2011 until 2013, was among a number of Norwalk Democrats to back District D Democrats Chairman Vinny Mangiacopra in the Democratic mayoral primary two years ago.

Rilling won the primary and general elections, Mangiacopra later stepped down as District D Democrats but remains on the town committee for that district.

Pena said he rented an apartment in District B and registered himself to vote in that district as part of his 2014 bid for the 140th District seat in the state House of Representatives. He said he changed his voter registration immediately back to District D after losing the primary.

"If I never resigned and never vacated (my District D seat), I still hold onto the seat," Pena said. But "District D last night put it out to a vote."

During a meeting at City Hall on Tuesday evening, District D Democrats elected King and Joe Tamburri to co-chair District D Democrats.

King on Wednesday rejected that a vendetta was at play.

"Warren has to play by the rules like everybody else. Warren moved out of the district and changed his registration to an address outside the district, therefore, there is a vacancy," King said. "The committee, not Donna King, decided to declare the vacancy and hold an election for the position."

Edwin Camacho, Norwalk Democratic Town Committee chairman, said Pena by virtue of his 2014 move outside the district vacated his seat on the District D Democratic Town Committee.

"I don't know if there was any other motivation than to abide by the DTC rules," Camacho said of Tuesday evening's action by District D Democrats.

Camacho said King, after being elected, declined to fill the vacancy and that District D Democrats will hold another election to fill Pena's vacant seat.

"At the next scheduled district meeting, a vote will be held to fill the seat that was vacated by virtue of Warren's moving, and Warren could conceivably be back on the DTC," Camacho said.

The Norwalk Democratic Town Committee currently comprises 35 members, or seven from each of Norwalk's five district. The committee is poised to increase to 55 members -- or 11 from each district -- next January following a recent action by its members.

"We want to get more people involved in the party, more views, more ideas," Camacho said.